A new report on gender equality in travel and tourism says the sector has failed to meet a 50% parity target set in 2018, with women still under-represented in senior roles, as some companies continue to operate with all-male boards, and entrenched systemic barriers remain in place in the industry.
Improvement in women leaders at carriers, airlines, and cruises
Recent economic instability and the COVID-19 pandemic have contributed to those failings, the Sun, Sand and Ceilings report notes, yet some of the segments worst-affected by those factors, such as aviation and cruise lines, have made the most progress since 2018, with female representation up 16%.
Though some of the improvements seem impressive, they are starting from a low base. Ryanair comes in for particular note, having tripled its women directors from two to six, and IAG Airlines Group has seen a fivefold increase in women executives, from one to five. However, men still outnumber women at all the companies examined, except for the Holland America Line, where the leadership team consists of one woman only.
As well as the 15 carriers, airlines and cruises, the report looks at 53 other international organisations, including tour operators, professional associations, and hotels and hotel groups. While all had seen improvements, gender equality in professional associations has stagnated since the last check, at around only 30%. Furthermore, three of the 28 tour operators, named and shamed as DTH and G Adventures, continue to be led by all-male boards.
Women occupy only around a third of board seats
It’s important to acknowledge that, across the whole lot, women comprise a majority of the workforce (54%) according to UNWTO and UN Women data, and yet the charity behind the new report, Equality in Tourism, notes they are significantly under-represented at board level, taking up only a third (33%) of executive positions.
Shockingly, perhaps, and illustrating the historic dearth of equality in the sector, that lack of representation is nonetheless an improvement of 10% over the last seven years, and more than double the board representation that existed in 2013.
The report uses board representation as a key indicator for a company’s “strategic commitment to gender equality in key decision-making and leadership roles,” the charity says. It points out that the “people-centred” character of the travel and tourism industry makes equality “especially valuable.”
Diverse teams are more successful, data shows
What’s more, while women may lack influence in the tourism workplace, they influence 82% of travel purchasing decisions, according to Skift. This means women leaders can improve companies’ understanding of their customers and “create more relevant products and experiences.”
The bottom line is that firms with gender diverse executive teams are more successful. They are 25% more likely to have above-average profits, according to McKinsey, and “organisations with over 30% women in leadership outperform those with fewer women leaders by an impressive 48% margin.”
On top of pointing out problems and imbalances, the report sets out a 10-step action plan “with practical strategies for tourism organisations to advance gender equality.” These include common-sense tips for general compliance, such as adopting global frameworks and obeying legislation, as well as proactive culture-based programmes like monitoring, reporting, and celebrating success, plus the removal of barriers by promoting work-life balance.
